THE WEARDALE RAILWAY

DISCOVER, EXPERIENCE, EXPLORE BY RAIL...

TRAIN RIDES THROUGH WEARDALE, COUNTY DURHAM

You might have heard that the future of Weardale Railway was under threat after its US parent company went into administration.

The Auckland Project, based in Bishop Auckland, has purchased the Weardale Railway and plan to work with the local community and other stakeholders to find a new future for the railway. In the long term, we hope it will be a popular destination for tourists and that it might also help to connect communities in the dales with Bishop Auckland and the broader transport network.

We are currently in the process of finalising our licence to be able to operate the railway; when all the paperwork is complete, we’ll be working hard to get the track in good order and our fantastic volunteers ready to start a brand new season. We won’t be scheduling any services or events until this is complete, and we look forward to welcoming you in the future.

In the meantime if you have any questions please contact us on [email protected]

THE STORY OF WEARDALE RAILWAY

Weardale Railway was once a part of the historic Stockton and Darlington line with a terminus at Wearhead. Weardale Railways CIC owns 16 miles of track between Bishop Auckland and Eastgate in Weardale, County Durham. Weardale is a beautiful area, much of which falls within the North Pennies AONB, and is a fantastic place for outdoor pursuits including walking, cycling, and watching the local wildlife. Our railway currently runs between Witton-le-Wear and Stanhope Station, nestled in beautiful Stanhope. Join us for a scenic ride on this historic railway today!

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SEE FOR YOURSELF WHAT ALL THE COMMOTION IS ABOUT!

Loved it!

We took the 1968 one-coach diesel to Bishop Auckland and waited there for 20 minutes just to come back again! It is a slow, genteel and very beautiful journey with a delightful ticket collector who acts as a tour guide supplying fabulous information and anecdotal stories. It was all very nostalgic and we had the advantage of a blue sky day helping show off lovely autumn colours and bright green fields.

– Ena-Bill, TripAdvisor

Great back in time experience

Did the whole journey which is lovely and very scenic. The guard on board was very entertaining and informative. We had a drink and snack from the tea room before the journey and it was excellent!

– carole5000, TripAdvisor

Good value, lovely scenery, and friendly volunteer staff

Travelled from Bishop Auckland West (not to be confused with Bishop Auckland national rail station) to Stanhope and return in a 1958 heritage single diesel railcar. Wonderful views through the large windows to the side and front. Very enthusiastic and helpful volunteer crew on board. Lovely café at Stanhope station. Highly recommended day out!

– Ibis_user, TripAdvisor

Cream Tea Onboard

After 5 years, Weardale Railway are back at Bishop Auckland West Station. We enjoyed the train ride through lovely countryside, whilst enjoying a Cream Tea. The volunteers worked hard to make us feel special, but not just us, the train was full. We had a lovely evening.

– footpri, TripAdvisor

Heritage Weekend

The weekend we picked for our visit turned out to be a Heritage Event. We travelled down the line (in First Class of course) from Stanhope to Bishop Auckland and back, taking in the magic of Weardale, the river and the daffodils. The station is situated in Stanhope with its own car park, café and shop, with plenty of volunteers around to help.

– Sylvia C., TripAdvisor

A lovely round trip on a heritage train

This was a lovely, value-for-money round trip from Stanhope to Witton le Wear on a heritage DMU. The staff were friendly and gave us interesting local facts as we travelled along. The station at Stanhope is by far the most developed in terms of facilities, etc so this is the recommended start point of the journey. A thoroughly pleasant way to spend an October morning.

– andybirmingham28, TripAdvisor